Marion Samson Park

Review: A rocky / hilly mountain bike trail on the West Fork of the Trinity River, Marion Samson Park is also home to a rare DFW waterfall! Not one of the easier trails to mountain bike, or hike depending on the route you take. This is one you may want to bring your hiking sticks for, and you’ll be glad you visited!

Distance: 11 miles of intermediate to expert trails

Area of Town: NW Fort Worth

Facilities: There is a portapotty in the parking area and a covered seating area with a table.

Suitable for: Mountain Biking, Hiking

Type of Trail: Natural Trails

Shade: Mix of shade and canopy depending on time of day

Where to Park:  There is a parking area on top of the hill overlooking the trails

Official Site: Marion Samson Park

Nearby Trails: Fort Worth Nature Center, Airline Falls

Marion Samson Park is a trail system in Northwest Fort Worth, that you simply must put on your To Do list! Home to one of the very few natural waterfalls in North Texas, this hilly mountain biker’s paradise is fun for bikers and hikers alike!

The first time I went here, I wasn’t clear where the parking was, so I wound up driving down towards the lake. Don’t do that. When you GPS instructions tell you that you’ve arrived, don’t head down the road to the right, head to the left which will take you to the parking area. Marion Samson has plenty of parking, and there’s also a port-a-potty here (broken lock) and a pavilion with picnic table.

Looking at the map above, you’ll notice immediately that this is a mountain bike trail! And this is not an easy trail, like River Legacy Park. There is a lot of elevation change as you go down the cliffside to the water’s edge. So if you do venture out on bike, know that this isn’t going to be an easy trail. If you go out on foot, make sure to wear very sturdy shoes, and this is one of the few occasions in North Texas that you may want to bring hiking poles.

Both times I came here, I went down the steep waterfall trail. And it is very steep. I had to step carefully and use my arms for balance, while carrying my camera. You could lose your footing in places, so tread carefully and please wear sturdy shoes (no flip flops here). Scrubby junipers and wildflowers grew in the rocky soil here, it’s definitely got a hill country vibe. At one point down the trail an automated alert sounded, must have been triggered by a motion sensor, telling me NOT to go forward, I was in a prohibited zone. That’s where it was getting steeper, so I backtracked to the green trail, and zig zagged on that back to the Waterfall trail, and then continued on down.

Once I was at the base, I could hear the sound of water falling, and through gaps in vegetation I could see through to the water. On my first visit (June), I saw great egrets (and a snow egret) hanging out in the water above the falls), and then a deer who was enjoying racing at them and scaring them off. The second time I visited (October) the water was a lot lower, and the egrets (and deer) weren’t there.

There is a great vantage spot to see the waterfall, and just enjoy the view. You’ll know it when you get there! With the dry summer and early fall, the waters weren’t as impressive in October, so keep that in mind. I love the sound of a waterfall, and and the water cascading over the limestone bluff that forms the feature, was relaxing and beautiful. Especially in June when wildlife was abundant in the water.

I took the north path along the Trinity River to the left (away from the waterfall) and entered a peaceful forested area, which gave me some additional views of the peaceful Trinity downstream of the dam. Some really nice views here, and it did feel remote.

Looking at the map, I didn’t explore the areas that are more upstream of the dam, like the blue and purple sections. I also didn’t notice that there was a CCC (Civilian Conservation Core) structure on the map, so now I am curious and want to go back and see that part! Once I explored that forested area, I headed back up the Waterfall Trail (much easier coming down than back up again!), and actually when I got onto the Green Trail, I just took that back up to the parking lot as it was easier and less steep.

Online I saw a lot of mentions of trash and broken glass in the area. While I didn’t notice any broken glass, there was a bit of trash in some areas down by the river, and it looked a bit like it was from homeless in the area (like from encampment). There are some areas to explore the brush on the red trail down by the water, which I did explore a bit trying to get more views from the water. As I wandered around, I did notice a guy squatting in some vegetation like he was trying to hide, so that was a bit creepy. After that I went back to the main path. There were other hikers and trail runners and bikers in the area, so I didn’t feel unsafe, but I would keep an eye out for your surroundings if you go alone.

Overall, this is a fun place to check out! It’s hilly and fun to scramble down the incline, the trails will provide a challenge if you are a strong mountain biker, and where else can you see a waterfall in the area! Also, you may want to check out Airline Falls which is close by, which is just off the Trinity Trails in Fort Worth.